Washing Feet of Women at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

WASHINGTON, DC MARCH 24: Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the Vatican's ambassador to the US, blesses the altar at the start of mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Thursday, March 24, 2016, in Washington, DC. This day marked the first time the Basilica has included women in the annual foot washing ceremony done on Maundy Thursday, during Holy Week. While practices have varied and many parishes in the West have long included women, Pope Francis officially said for the first time in January that women's feet could be washed. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)